Say So

November 2, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

The apostle Paul makes an interesting point with a little play on words—two words, to be specific: peace and God. Check out Philippians 4:4-8. Paul says, “the peace of God” (Greek: eirene Theos) and “the God of peace” (Theos eirene). Surrounding these titles are reminders to be grateful. Throughout Scripture we see this link between our gratitude to the God of peace, and the peace of God which guards our hearts. 

(You can read all of the Bible verses mentioned in this post by clicking here.)

A natural byproduct of the peace of God is contentment. But contentment can also be our undoing, if we aren’t careful to use it the right way. 

Watch out for contentment that becomes complacency—taking our blessings for granted. If we do this, complacency leads to forgetfulness. And as soon as anything is not going right, our forgetfulness produces anxiety. 

Charles Spurgeon said, “When we have much of God’s providential mercies, it often happens that we have but little of God’s grace, and little gratitude for the bounties we have received. We are full and we forget God: satisfied with earth, we are content to do without Heaven.” 

The wrong things to feel contented about: 

  • My possessions 
  • Absence of enemies or troubles 
  • Things going my way 

Psalm 107 is a history lesson for us. Notice a repeated pattern for Israel that is still operational today. 

  • give thanks (v. 1) → complacency which leads to hunger (v. 5) → calling to God for deliverance (v. 6) 
  • give thanks (vv. 8-9) → rebellion which leads to trouble (vv. 11-12) → calling to God for salvation (vv. 13-14) 
  • give thanks (v. 15) → foolishness which leads to rebellion (v. 17) → calling to God for help (vv. 19-20) 
  • give thanks (v. 21) → drunkenness which leads to being at their wits’ end (v. 27) → calling to God for deliverance (v. 28) 

Finally, in v. 31 we have a “give thanks” that doesn’t proceed to complacency and trouble. If contentment fuels expressed gratitude, that keeps not just eirene Theos on our minds, but also Theos eirene. This keeps us watchful for God (v. 43): In this verse “heed” means to keep a close watch, and “consider” means to have increased discernment and insight. This restarts the right contentment cycle. 

The right things to feel contented about: 

  • Not my possessions, but God possessing me—Psalm 131:1-2 
  • Not the absence of troubles, but not being troubled by troubles—Proverbs 19:23 
  • Not things going my way, but things going God’s way—Job 1:21-22; Philippians 4:11-13; Deuteronomy 8:3 AMPC 

When our thoughts about God begin to fade, so does our gratitude to God. When our gratitude to God begins to fade, so does our reliance on Him. 

The strategy for how we keep our thoughts on God is embedded throughout Psalm 107: We must use our mouth to recount His blessings—exalt and praise (v. 32), tell (v. 22), say so (v. 2). 

You need to hear your “say so” in your own ears to energize your faith (science backs this up). The enemy needs to hear your “say so” to defeat him (Revelation 12:10-11). Others around you need to hear your “say so” to encourage them (Philippians 4:9). 

My challenge to you: At the end of everyday, write down one thing you are grateful for. Try to find a unique thing each day. Then put a box next to that thing. The next day, find someone to whom you can “say so”—to tell them, “I’m so grateful for _______.” 

Let’s be known as the “say so” people, constantly telling, exalting, and praising the every-day blessings that God showers on us. 

Check out the other messages in this series called The Peace in Gratitude here. 

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Effective And Productive

October 26, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

Do you know what is consistently found to increase mortality rates in older adults? Retiring from the workforce. One study “found that those who retired at 55 and lived to be 65 died 37 percent sooner than those that retire at 65. And in general, people who retire at 55 are 89 percent more likely to die within ten years than those that retire at 65.” 

This is because people who retire from the workforce typically retire from productive living as well. They have reached an arbitrary age where they assume their effectiveness is not as impactful as before, so they stop trying. 

I think Peter has this in mind as he concludes this list of virtues. He doesn’t want any saint to say, “Well, I have added to my faith, goodness…all the way to agape,” and then add, “So now that I have arrived, I can take it easy.” Instead, Peter urges us to continue growing (2 Peter 1:8; compare v. 3. 

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.)

Look at this phrase in a couple of other translations: 

  • As these qualities are yours (AMPC) = as you own them, understand them, and practice them more proficiently. 
  • The more you grow, the more productive and useful your life will be in God’s kingdom. 

I want you to think about who you see in the Bible that has retired. I cannot think of one, but instead we see saints making every effort to be productive and effective until God calls them home. 

  • Moses—Deuteronomy 34:7 
  • Caleb—Joshua 14:10-12 
  • John—2 John 12; 3 John 13-14 
  • Peter—2 Peter 1:13-15 

Notice Peter’s progression…

(1) IF you possess… There is no end date on this. The phrase “make every effort” (v. 5) is in the aortist tense and active voice. So it just keeps going. The phrase “if you possess” (v. 8) is in the present tense and active voice—so I have to always be active. 

(2) They will keep you… They will keep you growing. They will keep you fruitful. They will keep you excited about working for God. Literally translated: They will keep you from being barren and from shunning the labor that you ought to be doing. 

(3) But… If I have an attitude that I have arrived, that I can relax, then I will regress. The Christian walk should be constantly upward (Proverbs 15:24). 

This is not to say that there are no temporary stumbles. Unrealistic growth is an unbroken step upward without any plateaus. Realistically, there are times of plateau: (a) for assimilation or (b) preparation. Think about our friend Caleb. He had 40 years in the desert that could have seemed like a barren, unfruitful time. But he clearly kept himself ready and in fighting condition that whole time, so that when his mountain moment came, he was ready to meet the challenge! 

(4) Therefore… We have the repeated encouragement to be all the more eager to keep growing. There is a rich welcome awaiting that saint (Luke 12:42-44, 35-38). 

Keep going. Keep growing. Keep making every effort. Keep possessing these qualities in increasing measure. Keep active in God’s work until the very end. 

Saints should want nothing less than full productivity and effectiveness until they are called Home. 

Check out all of the other messages in this series here. 

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Friending Like Jesus

October 19, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

The words we use are important and can be quite revealing of what’s going on in our heart and mind. I often find it quite funny listening to some of our students and their choice of words. For instance, I heard this exchange the other day between some guys: 

“Do you like her?” 

“Yeah, I like her.” 

“But do you like her like her?” 

“No way! I like her as a friend. I don’t like her that way!” 

This may be both cute and confusing for adults relating to young men and women. But I have learned that these young people are setting some clear boundaries about what their relationship with that other person entails. They’re really saying, “I don’t dislike her, but I’m not ready to say that I love her yet either.” 

However, this kind of language and this kind of mindset should never be said about Christians! We are coming to the pinnacle of this progression of virtues that Peter is listing for saints, so let me remind you of what built up to this point (see 2 Peter 1:1-7).

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.) 

I read the words brotherly kindness in v. 7 because nearly every English translation has it rendered that way, and it’s probably the closest to the Greek word philadelphia. 

  • The root word (adelphos) is used over 300 times in the New Testament. 
  • Adelphos can be literally translated as a biological sibling (Matthew 1:2), but it is most often used in the NT as a spiritual brother or sister (2 Peter 3:15, 1:10). The first Christians recognized that their faith in Jesus—a faith as precious as ours—adopted us all into the same family of God. 
  • The prefix philos means the most straightforward, uncomplicated definition of “friend” that come readily to your mind. 

So when we are talking about the precious faith of precious friends, we are talking about something distinctively Christian. 

Last week we saw how Jesus taught us the importance of abiding in Him (see John 15:4-11). Our abiding produces a fruitful harvest. In the next verses, Jesus goes on tell us what this harvest looks like (John 15:12-17).

Notice the word command (v. 12, 17) is singular. Jesus said the same thing in John 13:34-35, and John again highlights this in 1 John 3:23. 

The word for love is agape, which Peter uses in 2 Peter 1:7. He says philos grows into agape. But now Jesus says, when we are abiding in His agape, something amazing happens: We are called friends (philos) of Jesus (John 15:13-15). Unlike my young friends, it appears that Jesus sees no difference between liking (philos) and loving (agape) for those who are called His saints. Lovers of Jesus will love their friends so much that they will like their friends too! 

Solomon describes friendship like this:

  • Always loving—Proverbs 17:17, 18:24 
  • Speaking truthful, loving words—Proverbs 27:6 
  • Giving helpful counsel—Proverbs 27:9 

This growth of philadelphia to agape, which then demonstrates itself by looking like philadephia has some powerful benefits. 

  1. It sharpens all of us (Proverbs 27:17). 
  2. It adds power to our prayers, which also benefits everyone (John 15:7, 16; James 5:16). D.L. Moody expressed it the opposite way: “If we do not love one another, we certainly shall not have much power with God in prayer.” 
  3. It enhances our witness (John 13:35, 17:21). 

My friend T.M. Moore wrote this about a healthy, growing family of saints—

“Oh look: ‘the Lord added to the church daily…’ [Acts 2:42-47]. Now we’re talking. Let’s get those numbers up, shall we? Let’s do, but let’s remember that adding people to our church is the Lord’s work, and He does it His way. And His way is to cause people to respond to the lived and spoken witness of a body of believers who love one another, encourage one another, build one another up, share with one another, and present a united voice, speaking truth in love to their community. When they see our oneness, Jesus insisted, they will believe the Father has sent Him.” 

This whole progression we have seen in 2 Peter becomes a continually growing, continually God-glorifying, Christ-revealing, Spirit-led testimony! Your part in this is invaluable and indispensable! 

So we must ask ourselves: How would Jesus be a friend? Am I friending like Jesus? 

If you have missed any of the previous messages in this series, you can find them all by clicking here. 

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Don’t Slander

September 29, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:16 NLT) 

Slander is defined as: “The utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another’s reputation.” (Merriman-Webster dictionary) 

I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride. (Psalm 101:5 NLT) 

Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. (Proverbs 10:18-19 NLT) 

And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. (Matthew 12:36) 

In my book When Sheep Bite, I have a whole chapter about dealing with slanderers. In that chapter I wrote—

     You might be thinking, “But I have to respond to these lies, right? I can’t just let them continue to fly around unchecked because people may start believing these falsehoods.” I think this is a very natural response, but I want to again call us to strive for a supernatural response—something we can only do if we are completely yielded to God. Just as we saw what Peter wrote about the way Jesus didn’t verbally lash out at His slanderers (1 Peter 2:23), we need to respond in the same way as our Chief Shepherd did. … 

     Don’t treat those who criticize and slander you as an enemy. Instead, grieve for their hardened hearts and pray for God’s mercy on them. Intercede for them to be able to acknowledge their sinful words, so they may ask God for forgiveness before His judgment inevitably falls on them. Remember that these sheep—though they are angry and attacking—are still ones for whom Jesus shed His blood. The natural response may be a desire to see our slanderers eternally punished, but the supernatural response is to desire for their soul to be eternally in God’s presence. (Excerpt from When Sheep Bite) 

God-fearing people are not to listen to slander nor to slander another. Every human is created in the image of God—to slander another is to slander his or her Creator. 

You may also want to check out these blog posts: 

And these videos:

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L.E.A.N. Into Conversations

September 24, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

On a recent episode of The Craig and Greg Show, we talked about the underutilized leadership practice of journaling. Here is one idea I was able to capture and implement because of my commitment to keeping a journal.

Listen … really listen (see James 1:19; Proverbs 18:13)
Empathize … what are they feeling
Ask … at least one question to get clarity
Name … use their name when responding

Check out our full conversation about journaling here. 

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Eyes On The Prize

July 29, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. 

Greg Heeres is my lifelong friend and co-host of The Craig and Greg Show leadership podcast. We have just released the first book in our series called Business by the Book. These books will help business leaders see how relevant the Bible is for the day-to-day wisdom they need to make impactful decisions for their organizations. 

I write chapters one, three, and five with a biblical example of the book’s focal point, and then Greg writes a business application of those examples in chapters two, four, and six. 

Our first book is about the CEO’s vital role of vision-casting. 

We wanted to give you a taste of what these books are all about, so here is the first chapter in this book entitled “Eyes on the Prize”—

Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained. (Proverbs 29:18)

It All Starts with You 

     It all starts with you as the leader of your organization. If you have a clear vision in mind for both your personal life as well as for your organization, your people will join you on this journey, no matter how long or difficult it may seem. 

     On the other hand, the number one cause of both personal and corporate failure is drifting away from the vision that brought success. 

     God gives vision. He doesn’t give a vision to a leader so that a leader can have a better life, but so that leader can help people get to a better place. Vision is always through the leader to the people. Solomon said, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained” (Proverbs 29:18). 

     Another translation of this verse carries even more weight, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” 

Eye Discipline 

     In almost every sport that involves a ball, the tried-and-true maxim is, “The ball goes where your eyes go.” 

     Greg and I first met on a basketball court. There were a group of guys that got together to play basketball every day at lunchtime. Because Greg and I were about the same height, we were almost always placed on opposite teams and I had the unenviable assignment of guarding this exceptional athlete. 

     One of the things I noticed right away about Greg’s game was how good he was “in traffic.” He could exploit a small gap between defenders and dribble the ball through that opening to give himself a good look at the hoop. That good look usually meant success in scoring. 

     I did my best to match Greg shot for shot, but I usually came out on the losing side of these match-ups. There is something about competition that causes me to focus on my task—both in business and on the basketball court. So as I guarded Greg, I studied what made him so successful. Eventually I spotted one of the main differences between us: It was his eyes. 

     As Greg drove through traffic, he kept his eyes on the basketball rim, so when he was ready to shoot, the ball went where his eyes already were. I noticed about myself that when I tried to navigate through all the bodies on the court, my eyes went down to the basketball, and only when I thought I was in the clear did I move my eyes to the rim. 

     The more consistently you keep your eyes on your vision, the better your likelihood of making it real. Your life and your organization are going to go where your eyes are fixed. You must have a clear vision for your own life, a vision that is lived out with integrity through good days and bad days, to earn the right to lead people. 

Nehemiah the Vision-caster

     The nation of Israel was being allowed to return to their homeland after 70 years in exile. The capital city Jerusalem was in a shambles—the walls had been knocked down, the gates were burned, and their temple of worship had been demolished. 

    When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he made a careful inspection of the situation. He undertook his first assessment by himself at night; he didn’t share his findings with the people right away. 

     Nehemiah was a man of personal integrity. Throughout the historical account of his leadership, we see him handling his position of authority, the funds entrusted to him for the rebuilding project, his own personal finances, and even the “competitors” that wanted the Israelites to fail, with godly wisdom and impeccable character. 

     With his personal life in order, Nehemiah then approached the people of Israel. In his journal, recorded for us in the Book of Nehemiah in the Bible, he wrote— 

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. (Nehemiah 2:17-18) 

     Because Nehemiah went first, the people readily accepted his vision of a rebuilt city: “So they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.’ Then they set their hands to this good work” (Nehemiah 2:18). 

     A mark of a godly leader is one who can inspire all sorts of people to pursue the same vision. Nehemiah did such a good job casting the vision God had given him that people from all professions and persuasions joined in. 

     Although the vision was to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem, most of those who joined Nehemiah in pursuing this vision were anything but builders. They were priests, goldsmiths, perfume makers, and merchants. They were young and old, men and women, native-born Israelites and God-fearing foreigners, those who lived in the city and those who lived in the countryside (see Nehemiah 3). With one voice they cried out, “Let’s rise up and build!” and they got down to business. 

     All these different people bought into one godly leader’s vision. 

What’s Your Vision? 

     Do you have a clear vision for your own life? What about for your organization? You need to have your eyes on a prize that will stand the test of time and will have lasting—even eternal—significance. 

     If you cannot readily identify a compelling vision for either yourself or your organization, I would like to suggest three places you could start. You could say, “My/our vision is . . . 

     (1) . . . to do good. Peter summed up the entirety of Jesus’s public ministry by saying, “Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38 NLT). 

     (2) . . . to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. This is an exact quotation of the vision statement God gave through the prophet Micah (Micah 6:8 NLT). 

     (3) . . . to bring life where there is death and to set captive people free. This was what Jesus stated as His personal vision for His public ministry (Luke 4:18-19). 

     Find your personal vision and keep your eyes on the prize. This will give you moral authority for the vision you will share with your team. Your vision as the leader is the key to unlocking your organization’s success. 

You can check out this episode of The Craig and Greg Show where we talk more about this project. And then pick up a copy of Business by the Book: A CEO’s Vision-casting. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

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Run Away Or Face It?

July 2, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

A storm is coming. What are you going to do: brace for it or run for cover? 

Here’s the quote from Charles Dickens that I shared—

“Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. Mind! I don’t mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Country’s done for. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail.”

The Scriptures I reference in this video are Proverbs 27:12; Matthew 6:8, 32; James 1:2-4; and Romans 5:3-5. 

I also mentioned a previous related blog post entitled Faith Over Fear. 

One of the storms many leaders face is the attack from those whom they lead. I address this topic extensively—and a better alternative to a fight-or-flight response—in my book When Sheep Bite. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

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Empowered Understanding And Application

June 15, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

The baptism in the Holy Spirit brings an empowerment that nothing else can—You will receive POWER to be My witnesses (Acts 1:8). 

I remember sitting with a group of leaders who were discussing personnel issues that was slowly becoming nothing more than a gripe session. I shared a story from the Book of Acts about some disagreements between some saints, and then made an application that caused all of these leaders to look at me in wonder. One said, “I had no idea that was in the Bible,” and another added, “I knew that story was there, but I never thought of applying that to this situation.” That wasn’t me, but the Holy Spirit who opened up His Word to that situation. 

My friend Greg and I are writing a series of books for the business community called Business by the Book, where we are applying biblical insights to every “box” of a typical corporate flowchart. People who have already reviewed sections of our book are having a similar response: “I had no idea these examples and applications were there!” 

We are surrounded by messages right now—messages we cannot hear. There are some persuasive arguments, some angry rants, some happy tunes, and some special sporting events. But we cannot tune into those messages with having a radio receiver set to the precise frequency. The Holy Spirit does the same thing for Christians. 

Check out David talking about the speech of Creation in Psalm 19:1-4. 

(See all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.) 

Jesus used Creation too—telling us to look at the birds and flowers (Matthew 6:26, 28) or to consider the farmer sowing seeds (Matthew 13:3-9). 

In Romans, Paul tells us that Creation is enough (1:19-20) but that God also gave us His Law (2:12) and a conscience (2:15). When men rejected these things, God sent prophets and then His One and Only Son. 

Those without the Holy Spirit are deaf to this speech, unable to understand it nor apply it to their lives, as Jesus goes on to tell His audience in Matthew 13:10-12. 

We have already talked about the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth (John 16:7-15), but notice that one of the first things He does is convict us of sin (v. 8). Without this conviction, we are unable to repent of the things which are keeping us spiritual blind and deaf (Ezekiel 12:1-2). 

Oswald Chambers noted, “Spiritual insight is in accordance with the development of heart purity.” How true! And that’s exactly what Jesus went on to say in Matthew 13:13-15. Paul echoes this—

But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. (1 Corinthians 2:14 NLT). 

One of the prophecies about Jesus included His reliance on the Holy Spirit—not His natural mind—to discern what God was doing and how Jesus would fulfill Scripture (Isaiah 11:1-5). 

This Spirit-empowered insight was anticipated by Solomon: If you will turn (repent) and give heed to My reproof, behold, I Wisdom will pour out My Spirit upon you, I will make My words known to you. (Proverbs 1:23 AMPC) 

We can then know the sayings of the wise and be able to understand and apply these truths (Proverbs 24:23, 32). See how Peter did this in Acts 10:17, 28. 

Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding—drawing it forth from God’s Word and life’s experiences. (Proverbs 3:13 AMPC) 

The Spirit-baptized Christian is empowered to understand God’s speech through His Word, His Creation, and their life experiences, and then to make Christ-honoring applications of that understanding! 

Why would we settle for anything less than this?! So don’t stop at salvation, but press on to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. 

If you’ve missed any messages in this series about the power of Pentecost, you can find the full catalog by clicking here. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

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Extraordinary Insight

May 26, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

Last week we said that Spirit-baptized Christians should live in the normalcy of extraordinary power! Our normative should be extraordinary because we have the Holy Spirit in us (John 14:16-17). One bad habit that keeps us from extraordinary living is that we frequently seek counsel from flawed sources—like fellow humans—when Jesus intends for the Holy Spirit to give us extraordinary insight (John 16:12-19). 

(See all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.) 

I work with middle schoolers every day. I love them but they can be frustrating at times. They are at the age where you would expect to see some maturing, but sometimes I have to ask them, “How old are you?” I think you can hear this loving frustration in Paul’s tone in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4. He refers to their spiritual immaturity as worldly (3x), calling them mere infants and mere humans (2x). 

This immaturity means they are missing out on deeper truths (you were not yet ready for it … still not ready), which reveals itself in their jealousy and quarreling, and factions. 

The phrase “mere humans” tells us that there is a lifestyle that is deeper. Which Paul outlines in 2:11-16. When he says some are “without the Spirit” (v. 14), he uses a Greek word that means the animal life which humans have in common with the brutes. That’s why some Bible translate this word “natural man” (NKJV). In other words, people living by reactions without forethought or insight. 

This word for “mere Humans” or “natural man” occurs two other times in the New Testament, and it is a very sad picture (James 3:15; Jude 19)! 

By contrast, Paul says that those who rely on the Holy Spirit have spiritual discernment (v. 14) to make good judgments (v. 15). Both of these English words are the same Greek word which is probably best translated as Spirit-breathed insight. 

Why does the Holy Spirit give us this deeper insight? So that we may have the mind of Christ (2:16). The psalmist echos this longing: I am Your servant; give me understanding (discernment and comprehension), that I may know—discern and be familiar with the character of—Your testimonies (Psalm 119:125 AMPC). 

This psalmist knew the power of God’s Word to help us to continue to mature in our walk with our Savior. Especially in the section in Psalm 119:97-104, we read that this Spirit-breathed insight gives us an advantage over our enemies, our teachers, and even our elders. 

Solomon picks up this same theme. Notice his “if…then” connections in Proverbs 2:1-6 as he talks about the immense value of the divine insight the Holy Spirit gives us. 

Guillermo Maldonado said, “God never intended for us to walk aimlessly, trying to please Him without guidance or direction. Instead, He sent us the Holy Spirit and equipped us with the ability to hear, feel, intuit, and discern His atmosphere.”  

Remember what Jesus said in John 16:12-15. In short: the Holy Spirit gives us the mind of Christ. With His mind we have discernment into how to apply the Scripture to our life, which will give us extraordinary insight. With this insight, our lives will be transformed and we will be His witnesses, drawing others to Jesus. 

Let’s make this our prayer—

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11) 

Check out all of the other messages in our series about what it means to be a Pentecostal Christian. 

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City Hall Dedication Prayer

May 15, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

I had the honor of offering the prayer of dedication for the building that will be home to City Hall in Cedar Springs, MI. In our City’s long history, this is only the fourth building which they have occupied, with the previous building being their home for 50 years. So I was probably given a once-in-a-generation opportunity!

Here is the text of my remarks and prayer. 

When the Constitutional Convention convened, Benjamin Franklin rose and said, “I therefore beg leave to move, That henceforth Prayers, imploring the Assistance of Heaven, and its Blessing on our Deliberations, be held in this Assembly every Morning before we proceed to Business.” 

Prayer before legislative deliberations has been ingrained in our Nation since her inception. So in that spirit, I humbly offer this prayer of dedication for our new City Hall.

Almighty God, Your servant Paul told us to “pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity” [1 Timothy 2:2]. We are also told that those in civic leadership positions are Your servants that You have appointed to do Your work [Romans 13:1]. 

There are so many issues that are before both our elected officials and our City staff that need a wise and prudent answer. We believe that You delight in giving us Your counsel which is far above the counsel of mere humans. 

Therefore, I humbly ask for wisdom for Your servants who serve us in the City of Cedar Springs. You have told us that wisdom will be “given generously” to all who ask You for it [James 1:5]. And that by Your wisdom officials “rule wisely” [Proverbs 8:15]. Give these civil servants such wisdom to deliberate and to decide in a fashion that pleases Your righteousness and Your justice. May the City of Cedar Springs—and all of her citizens—be blessed because of Your wisdom that guides the deliberations and the decisions that will be made made in this building. 

I pray this in the Name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.

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